Child of Destiny

Saturday, 7 July 2018

The African Diaspora - Week in Review

Africans at home and in the diaspora are making me happy. Taking my mind off this blatant human trafficking that is happening in the US with immigrant children and the usual mess in the Middle East.
Guys?
The government of the United States is trafficking children. You heard it here first.

Anyways, so Africans.
I read Romelo Lukaku's story yesterday. He's a Belgian midfielder (or is it defender? I'm not sure) of Congolese descent. He was born in Belgium and he speaks Lingala in addition to four other European languages. I was born and bred in Kenya and I can barely speak Kiswahili let alone Bukusu. It's making me sad for myself.
Anyway, I digress.
Lukaku's story hit me in the feels because of how it reminded me of my child's childhood in many ways. The obsession with football. The making do with what's available without complaint. The closeness with his grandad. The determination to play professionally. The desire to make life better for his mother.
I was reading his story but it was like it was my son who wrote it.

Now, where his story diverges is that he actually achieved his dream to play for Anderlecht by the time he was sixteen. He did it with the absolute belief that makes mountains move for you. I am a stan. Romelo Lukaku is the kind of strong I aspire to be. The kind of strong I wish for my kid.

Then there was a Therese Okoumou - I hope I spelled that right - who climbed the Statue of Liberty to protest the trafficking of children - okay the snatching of children away from their parents in the name of "immigration laws". I have a sister called Theresa. I know, irrelevant. I just wanna associate myself with her somehow. She was awesome. When I think of my fear of heights alone...
Anyway, moving on, we have a number of people to get through.

All African teams are out of the world cup, but not all diasporans. Eight in Belgium and fourteen in France, if I'm not mistaken would be eligible to play for African teams. So we're still represented even if the World Cup has become Euro '18. Special shoutout to Senegal and their coach though. They played well. Really well. And I look forward to hearing good things from them.
On the continent, Zimbabwe has legalized medical cannabis. I really feel we should promote the use of cannabis over alcohol because the former does not turn you into a shadow of your former self. We have an addiction problem, and if people need to get high, better to do it with something that isn't addictive.
In Kenya, poor lives are mattering today with a march to make sure police shootings stop. So shout out to black lives matter for the inspiration.
Lastly, here's a preview from the first ever post-apocalyptic gay African romance. You didn't think I'd forget to plug myself, did you? It's like you don't even know me. :)